Requirements Management and Documentation (K Level 4/5) Flashcards
Rationale for requirements management (5.1)
Managing changes to the defined/baselines requirements & ensuring the desired level of traceability is achieved
Elements of requirements management (5.1)
i.Identifying requirements.
ii. Source of the requirement.
iii. Owner of the requirement.
iv. Cross-references for the requirement.
v. Change control.
vi. Version control.
vii. Storage of the documented requirements.
Elements of requirements management
i. Identifying requirements (5.1)
Each requirement should have a unique identifier - v important to know which req is under discussion or being developed
- Can be linked to type of requirement e.g. T001/T002 for technical
- Can include version number
Elements of requirements management
ii. Source of requirement (5.1)
The person/document that raised the requirement
Elements of requirements management
ii. Source of requirement - why is this useful (5.1)
- For backwards traceability
- provides additional information / justifies existence
- Useful for considering changes to the req: helps clarify the impact of the change/support decisions
Elements of requirements management
iii. Owner of requirement (5.1)
Owner has repsonsibility for the business area affected by the requirement
- may be called upon to make decisions
Elements of requirements management
iii. Owner of requirement - why is this useful (5.1)
Identifying an owner is useful if decisions need to be made about the requirement e.g. disagreements about requirements or changes to budget/timescale which may reprioritise /discontinue the requirement
Elements of requirements management
iv. Cross-references for the requirement (5.1)
Related requirements & documents should be cross-references so further elaboration/information can be accessed easily
Elements of requirements management
iv. Cross-references for the requirement
- why is it useful (5.1)
- Cross referencing guards against inconsistency/ fragmentation
- supports impact analysis (will the change affect other requirements)
Elements of requirements management
v. Change Control (5.1)
Defining and implementing a process to manage change (DACDIR)
- Document: document change request
- Analyse: alignment to biz objectives? impact on other requirements? timeframe? budget?
- Consult: with relevant stakeholders (owner of original requirement
- Decide
- Implement/reject: version control
Elements of requirements management
vi. Version Control / Configuration Management (5.1)
- Each change is recorded, creating an audit trail
Without effective configuration management problems can occur: identifying the latest requirement version / out of date requirements may be introduced / incorrect requirements may be used during development
Elements of requirements management
vii. Storage of documented requirements (5.1)
- Requirements should be stored securely (can be supported by software)
- Appropriate access restrictions (who can view/edit - ensuring right stakeholders during change control process can view)
- Amendments only via change control process (if approved - new version is re-numbered
Elements of requirements management
vii. Storage of documented requirements
- What can be used to support this? (5.1)
Automated software tools
- Can supports: access issues/document linkage (e.g. cross referencing)/version number
Traceability (5.1)
Types / Why important
- Vertical and horizontal
- allows us to track the development throughout development lifecycle (why does it exist? what becomes of it?) or vertically to confirm alignment with overall strategy
Traceability
1. Vertical Traceability Hierarchy (5.1)
Business Strategy/Objectives
Business requirements
Solution requirements
Traceability
1. Vertical Traceability (5.1)
- Tracing a requirement up or down the hierarchy
Traceability
1. Vertical Traceability
- Why is this useful? (5.1)
Answer questions about alignment with general/technical requirements and ultimately policies/strategies/objectives
Traceability
1. Horizontal Traceability (5.1)
‘Backwards from’
- what’s the source? Who raised it?
‘Forwards to’
- what happened to this requirement
Traceability
1. Horizontal Traceability - Why is this useful? (5.1)
Backwards from: when clarifications are needed/requirements are in conflict
Explain the Change Control Process
- Why is this vital (5.2)
Creates a robust audit trail of any changes made to requirements and ensures any changes are justified
Sources of change (5.2)
External factors:
- legal/regulatory changes
- competitive forces
Internal factors:
- change of key stakeholders/altered business priorities/change in project scope
Change Control
- Issues if Change Control not followed (5.2)
- Scope creep: additional features may be introduced without thorough evaluation
- Delays: every unmanaged change can disrupt the project timeline
- Quality Compromise: Unplanned & invalidated changes can lead to defects/errors
Version Control
- Configuration management process
Why is this needed? (5.3)
Configuration management ensures project artefacts are updated in a disciplined manner - any movements are clearly recorded and version numbers used for comparison & to ensure all parties are working with the correct version
Version Control
- Configuration management process
Examples? (5.3)
- Movement from draft to baseline (version number reflects baseline status)
- Changes to baselined requirements
Version Control
- Configuration management process
(5.3)
- CI created in draft form (indicated by version number)
- Validation carried out (new version number reflects baseline status)
- If further changes, new version is renumbered
Version Control
- Version Numbering
Why is this useful (5.3)
Any movements are clearly recorded and version numbers used for comparison & to ensure all parties are working with the correct version
Version Control
What is CI?
Configurable items = the deliverables to be bought under configuration (individual requirements/BRD/Models)
Tools in requirements management (5.4)
a. Functionality provided by tools:
i. Storage of documentation
and models.
ii. Linkage and cross-referencing.
iii. Change and version
control.
iv. Access restrictions.
Version Control
- Levels of configuration items (individual req/document)
CI include: individual requirement, sets of requirement (BRD) & associated models
Version numbers apply to each individual CI item
Requirement management
Storage of documentation & models (Explain & Justify) (5.4)
Requirement management tools can store and organise documentation (BRD/Models etc.)
Offer a central repository for easy access/retrieval of these documents
Requirement management
Linkage and cross-referencing (Explain & Justify) (5.4)
Software tools can aid with document/requirement linkage
Useful: impact analysis (a change in one requirements might impact another - cross referencing helps analyse interdependencies) & tracing version history
Requirement management
Change and version control (Explain & Justify) (5.4)
CC - modifications to requirements are managed systematically (Inc. tracking changes, documenting reasons, and ensuring that changes are approved before implementation)
VCis closely related, focusing on managing different versions of documents to facilitate rollback if needed and maintain a clear audit trail of changes over time.
Requirement management
Access restrictions (Explain & Justify) (5.4)
Ensures only authorised individuals can view/edit requirements. Important for data integrity & security
Requirement management
Storage of documentation & models
- Relationship to other requirement management tools (5.4)
- Foundation/pre-requisite for other tools
E.g. Cross referencing relies on a well organised storage system
E.g. Change/version control need a centralized repository where different versions can be stored/changes tracked
Requirement management
Linkage & cross referencing
- Relationship to other requirement management tools (5.4)
Heavily relies on a well organized storage system
Relationship with change/version control: if a change is proposed to one requirement, cross referencing helps identify other impacted requirements - ensures all changes are analysed thoroughly/ensure integrity
Requirement management
Change & version control
- Relationship to other requirement management tools (5.4)
Relationship with cross referencing: if a change is proposed to one requirement, cross referencing helps identify other impacted requirements - ensures all changes are analysed thoroughly/ensure integrity
Relationship with access restrictions : change control involves collaboration with different stakeholders. Access restrictions control who can review/approve changes & ensures the change control process is secure/transparent
Requirement management
Access restrictions
- Relationship to other requirement management tools (5.4)
Relationship with access restrictions : change control involves collaboration with different stakeholders. Access restrictions control who can review/approve changes & ensures the change control process is secure/transparent
Relationship with cross referencing: controls who can establish/modify links between requirements. Prevents unauthorised/ accidental changes that could affect traceability
Legal issues and business analysis
Examples of legal issues relevant to business analysis (5.6)
Data protection
Disability access
Data protection: rationale, principles and impact on requirements. (5.6)
DP = crucial for safeguarding individual privacy & ensuring the ethical & legal handling of personal information
Data protection: impact on requirements. (5.6)
BAs must consider DP regulations e.g. GDPR when eliciting/specifying requirements & ensure systems handle personal data ethically and securely
Disability Access: Rationale, Principles, and Impact on Requirements (5.6)
Imperative to create inclusive & accessible solutions (ensure organisation aligns with social responsibility and legal requirements promoting equal opportunities)
Disability Access: Impact on Requirements (5.6)
Need to consider disability access requirements. PESTLE can help
Examples: Captions for audio content for dead users / contrast and color requirements to aid visually impaired users
What tools can help BA identify legal issues? (5.6)
PESTLE
- Used as part of analysis but ongoing
- Follow change control process if new regulation/law comes in
- Explored via personas for specific req
Requirement Categories (5.5)
Business & Solution
Business (General & Technical)
Solution (Functional & NFR)
Business requirement sub categories (5.5)
General
Technical
Solution requirement sub categories (5.5)
Functional
Non- functional
What requirements are associated with enterprise level? (5.5)
Business requirements (General & Technical)
What requirements are associated with product/service level ? (5.5)
Solution (Functional & NFR)
They tell us what we need the system to do
What sits above all requirements? (5.5)
The business objectives (all requirements should vertically align to biz objectives)
6 types of General (business) Requirement? (5.5)
Business Constraints: Budget/Timescales/Resources
Business Policies: Standards/ Business rules
Legal: Legislative/Regulatory
Branding: Images/style guide
Cultural: Vision/approach & Management style
Language: International boundaries/spelling
4 types of Technical (business) Requirement? (5.5)
Hardware: IT & other hardware
Software: Operating systems/Package applications/Networking/Communications
Interoperability
Standards for communicating between systems and devices
Internet
Policies on internet use & web services / cloud
5 types of Functional (solution) Requirement? (5.5)
CRUD + Procedural
Create i.e. data entry
Read/retrieve i.e. reporting & responding
Update i.e. changes to data
Delete
Procedural i.e. Implementation of business rules
Relationship between requirement categories (5.5)
NFR’s (generally) constrain FR
Business requirements constrain functional requirements
All requirements should vertically align to business objectives
Relationship between NFR’s and FR? (5.5)
NFR’s (generally) constrain FR
Relationship between business and solution requirements? (5.5)
Business requirements constrain functional requirements
What are functional requirements (5.5)
Functional requirements set out the features that a solution should provide
They are WHAT the system must do, functionality it must offer
Often summarised as CRUD
What can be used to summarise functional requirements (5.5)
CRUD
Functional requirement examples (5.5)
The system shall:
(Create)
Hold details of all customers including name, address,credit limit, date of first order
(Update)
Allow changes to be made to customer details
(Read)
Report on all orders placed in the last week
(Delete or Update)
Orders can be cancelled
(Procedural, business rule)
An insurance policy can have a maximum of 3 policyholders
What are non-functional requirements (5.5)
Define HOW WELL the functional requirements will be provided